Ancient knife massage, known as Dao Liao, persists in Taiwan despite losing popularity in China for unknown reasons, with roots reaching over 2,000 years back.
In the historic heart of Taipei, Dadaocheng, highly trained therapists offer a unique therapeutic experience known as Dao Liao massages. This ancient practice, with roots dating back over 2,000 years, is deeply energizing by stimulating circulation and restoring balance to the body.
The origins of Dao Liao massage can be traced back to ancient China, where it was used by healers before the widespread use of needles in acupuncture. It developed regionally, especially in southern China, integrating Daoist health concepts and martial arts medicine. In Taiwan, the practice gained popularity through practitioners who combined traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) knowledge with folk healing, adapting the technique safely for musculoskeletal conditions.
Dao Liao massages are used to treat chronic muscle pain, joint stiffness, and soft tissue injuries, often considered effective in breaking down adhesions and promoting faster recovery. It reflects the deep integration of TCM philosophy in everyday health practices in both Taiwan and China.
Taipei's Dinhua Street is home to several massage shops offering Dao Liao massages. The massage technique involves the use of small, flat-edged knives or blades on the body to perform massage and therapeutic scraping. The cost of an hour-long Dao Liao massage starts at 1,200 Taiwanese dollars ($40).
In addition to the massages, the shops on Dinhua Street also sell herbal products like ginseng and goji berries. Dao Liao massages are recommended for treating chronic conditions such as arthritis and insomnia.
Despite falling out of favor in China for unknown reasons, the practice continues to thrive in Taiwan. The massage process may include loud belching by the therapists to expel the sick chi believed to transfer from the client to the therapists during the process.
Professor Liu, a scholar of historical Chinese medicine, believes that the rest of the world is slowly starting to adopt the millennia-long wisdom of traditional Chinese medicine. The popularity of acupuncture and the rise of Chinese Nobel Prize Winner Tu Youyou have contributed to the growing acceptance of traditional Chinese medicine.
Hsiao Mei Fong, the owner of the Ancient Art of Knife Therapy Education Center in Taipei, states that their practice is about energy and helping people find their positive chi. Dao Liao offers a non-invasive option complementary to acupuncture, cupping, and herbal remedies. Today, some regions in China and Taiwan promote Dao Liao massage as a cultural heritage therapy attracting wellness tourism.
In sum, Dao Liao is a traditional Chinese therapy with historical roots in TCM focused on pain relief and circulation improvement, and it holds cultural and therapeutic significance in both Taiwan and mainland China.
- The origins of Dao Liao massage can be traced back to ancient China, where it was initially used by healers before the widespread use of needles in acupuncture and has roots dating back over 2,000 years.
- In Taiwan, Dao Liao massages are recommended for treating chronic conditions such as arthritis and insomnia, and the practice gained popularity through practitioners who combined traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) knowledge with folk healing, adapting the technique safely for musculoskeletal conditions.
- Today, some regions in China and Taiwan promote Dao Liao massage as a cultural heritage therapy attracting wellness tourism, emphasizing its non-invasive option complementary to acupuncture, cupping, and herbal remedies, and its focus on energy and helping people find their positive chi.
